Way OT: Home Theater Question

[Todd_H]

Here are a few pictures of my small home theatre. the tv is a 65 inch Mitsubishi. the receiver is Optimus, surround sound Pioneer speakers mounted near the ceiling in all corners, and some sort of big wolfer DH bought. we have a dvd player and Direct tv too.

I got my recliners and star ceiling from HTMarket dot com.

* please ignore the open spots of drapery * (black velvet)
the cats like to play back there.

I LOVE the recliners with lighted cup holders and the star ceiling that twinkles.

Very cool . Seeing all of these "real" theaters is making me want to do some redesigning!

 

[Metallicat]

Thanks.
I love our sci-fi movie room.

 

[seashoreCM]

Rule 2 - On speaker cable - If you wouldn't jumpstart your car with it, why would you connect your speakers with it?

Jumper cables work just as well as romex or monster cables of the same gauge and at less cost, although the appearance might not be as pleasing.

 

[Groucho]

We have very similar tastes in movies. I like Verhoeven too (even Starship Troopers). I think his best film was Soldier of Orange. Love the Criterion Collection. I was collecting all of those OOP Criterion DVD's for a long time. I even had Salo, but sold it about 9 months ago (to help pay for my 24-70 2.8 L lens). I still have most of the OOP's now except for that first printing of Seven Samurai which is incredibly hard to come by. I am also a sucker for the special edition box sets. I don't buy them anymore (if I can resist it). I think the last one I bought was that Blade Runner 5 disc mega edition with the briefcase (on HD DVD) a little over a year ago. I really like movie memorabilia too and would like to build some shelving to collect some of that kind of stuff when I finally have a dedicated theater room.

I loooove Starship Troopers and am not ashamed to admit it. I've got the screenplay floating around here somewhere and occasionally look at props from the movie on eBay. I've got one of the large toy bugs from it down in the theater, too. Don't get me wrong, I have much wider tastes than just that (love Buster Keaton, Werner Herzog, Kurosawa, etc) but I love that movie. I think it's vastly better than the brainless action junk like Independence Day, etc - in fact, I can definitely say that I like it much more that The Dark Knight, which I found a bit disappointing and shockingly overrated.

Rule 1 - If you can pick it up by yourself, it isn't a subwoofer!
Rule 2 - On speaker cable - If you wouldn't jumpstart your car with it, why would you connect your speakers with it?

1) Mine's a "medium" PSB sub now but I'd been planning on building my own one of these days!
2) I wired the room for 7.1 with 12-gauge Carol speaker wire. That stuff is THICK! Possibly too thick...

Here are a few pictures of my small home theatre. the tv is a 65 inch Mitsubishi. the receiver is Optimus, surround sound Pioneer speakers mounted near the ceiling in all corners, and some sort of big wolfer DH bought. we have a dvd player and Direct tv too.

Big wolfer, I'm sure that was just a typo but a good one.

Nice-looking room... with all that work, though, you (or DH!) should really consider a front projection setup some time... it just takes the whole setup to a whole different level. I was originally hesitant when planning mine, but the projector actually cost less than a comparable big TV and puts out a much nicer (and larger!) image.

 

[Todd_H]

I loooove Starship Troopers and am not ashamed to admit it. I've got the screenplay floating around here somewhere and occasionally look at props from the movie on eBay. I've got one of the large toy bugs from it down in the theater, too. Don't get me wrong, I have much wider tastes than just that (love Buster Keaton, Werner Herzog, Kurosawa, etc) but I love that movie. I think it's vastly better than the brainless action junk like Independence Day, etc - in fact, I can definitely say that I like it much more that The Dark Knight, which I found a bit disappointing and shockingly overrated.

I liked the Dark Knight, but I have to agree with you that it is a bit overrated. There are a couple of really good and visually stunning Criterions that I have been recommending to my friends that have good taste in movies. The first is In the Mood for Love by Wong Kar-wai and the second is Kieslowski's The Double Life of Véronique. You should check them out if you haven't already (when you get your theater finished because they are meant for the big screen ).

 

[RBennett]

So I have a questiond regarding HT sound systems, and it sounds (no pun intended) like I came to the right place. I'm looking at revamping my HT this year, but keep in mind that I am just starting out. I WISH I could go big like a lot of y'all here have done, but I just don't have the space at home. So I am looking at just going with a 50" plasma that I have picked out, blue-ray dvd, and a new surround sound system. Now since I am getting the blue-ray I don't need a dvd/disc changer with my system. Does anyone have any recommendations on where to look for speakers/system. If it helps, I am DEFINITELY keeping this under $1,000 and I would prefer around the $500 range (give or take.) Is CNET very reliable with their reviews, or should I look somewhere all together different?

 

[webshark3]

Does anyone have any recommendations on where to look for speakers/system. If it helps, I am DEFINITELY keeping this under $1,000 and I would prefer around the $500 range (give or take.)

Rearly ago I put in a complete Onkyo 6.1 Surround system for $499. I remeber the reviews comparing the "HT in a box" to high end speakers. The Onkyo never won, but it was at least performing so well that it was compared.

I'm not a audiophile, so that worked out for me. Most HT nuts will tell you to start with speakers and slowly add on (a speaker being a long-term investment). So if you only have $1000 now, then you buy 1 or 2 great speakers, and slowly add on over a few years.

For me? Home-Theater-In-A Box all the way.

Something similar to this:
http://www.fadfusion.com/selection.php?product_item_number=20160202011

Here's mine:
http://reviews.cnet.com/Onkyo_HT_S760/4505-6740_7-30469461.html

 

[RBennett]

Thank you VERY much!! I spent quite a bit of time on CNET this weekend looking at reviews and I agree with you; for me a HTIB is the BEST way to go. So is Onkyo a pretty reputable brand? I wasn't for sure. I know that almost everything I found of theirs under $500 seems to be out of stock everywhere, but I'm sure once it comes time to actually buying the system I won't have any problem finding it on-line SOMEWHERE. THANKS AGAIN!!!!

 

[Todd_H]

Thank you VERY much!! I spent quite a bit of time on CNET this weekend looking at reviews and I agree with you; for me a HTIB is the BEST way to go. So is Onkyo a pretty reputable brand? I wasn't for sure. I know that almost everything I found of theirs under $500 seems to be out of stock everywhere, but I'm sure once it comes time to actually buying the system I won't have any problem finding it on-line SOMEWHERE. THANKS AGAIN!!!!

Yes. Onkyo is a very reputable brand. Also check out the Yamaha HTIAB systems. I had two Yamaha receivers before my current setup and they were an incredible value IMO. Good luck!

 

[webshark3]

Yes. Onkyo is a very reputable brand. Also check out the Yamaha HTIAB systems. I had two Yamaha receivers before my current setup and they were an incredible value IMO. Good luck!

What I like about Onkyo (at least the models I show) is that they take function over form very seriously (big boxes). They're selling you the audio, and not the fashion. I've been very happy with it.

 

[RBennett]

I am SO confused now, and I am SOOOO sorry if I am hijacking this thread because I don't mean to. But I have everything picked out now except for the sound system that I want. I am definitely going the HTIB route for financial reasons and because it's easier. But I'm trying to figure out if there is that big of a difference between 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound. I have these three that I'm looking at:

Yamaha:http://www.yamaha.com/yec/products/...67702&CTID=5000800&ATRID=1000&DETYP=ATTRIBUTE

Onkyo (5.1):http://www.onkyousa.com/model.cfm?m=HT-S3100&class=Systems&p=i

Onkyo (7.1):http://www.onkyousa.com/model.cfm?m=HT-S5100&class=Systems&p=i

And I promise, any more questions and I will start a new thread, so as I don't hijack this one.

 

[webshark3]

First, YES, I think there is a big differnce between 5.1 and 6.1. I love the extra rear channel (if your HT can accomodate it). The first time you hear a Tie Fighter fly over you, you'll know why.

As far as I remember, 7.1 is only required for larger rooms. I don't know how much differnce it would make in a smaller HT.

From Wikipedia: "This variation is becoming increasingly popular in home entertainment systems, as well as for large cinema auditoria where the screen width is such that the additional channels are needed to cover all angles between the loudspeakers satisfactorily for all seats in the auditorium."

Also (again, it's been awhile): I remeber reading about sub-woofers. You may want the ones that fire downward. Something about firing the base into the floor versus out sideways into the open. Look at the Onkyo; it's on legs, so it's firing downward. The Yamaha is firing out it's side. I'm reading that there should not be a differnce, but looking closer at some audiophiles, down-firing seems to be the preference.

Here's another pretty good article:
http://news.digitaltrends.com/talk-back/103/don-t-get-stampeded-by-the-7-1-parade

 

[GrillMouster]

Early in this thread someone stated that higher contrast ratios in TV sets are better. That's generally true. However, there is no universal standardized method of calculating contrast ratio, so each manufacturer determines it differently. As a result, contrast ratio is only good for comparing models from the same manufacturer. You can't really use that specification to compare TV sets from different brands.

 

[Groucho]

I liked the Dark Knight, but I have to agree with you that it is a bit overrated. There are a couple of really good and visually stunning Criterions that I have been recommending to my friends that have good taste in movies. The first is In the Mood for Love by Wong Kar-wai and the second is Kieslowski's The Double Life of Véronique. You should check them out if you haven't already (when you get your theater finished because they are meant for the big screen ).

Actually, Criterion did the best version of my all-time favorite movie, Brazil. Of course, most of those early OOP Criterions look pretty unimpressive compared to the 2-disc SEs that came later from the big studios... Regardless, I think I saw that Criterion is finally going to do their first Bluray; hopefully there'll be more to come! Oh, and my theater as I said is fully functional, I've been watching movies on it for a few years now. It's mainly cosmetics that it's still missing.

Webshark: regarding subs, I think the theory with side-firing subs is that you're supposed to put them in the corner of the room (either corner, doesn't matter as bass isn't really directional), which lets it bounce the waves off the walls. I would guess that a downward-firing one would be more flexible in placement.

Regarding home-theater-in-a-box... I like the idea however make sure that if you get one, that it's got some inputs. My uncle recently got himself a big HDTV and a HTIB but also wanted to connect his cable box into the speakers. Long story short - the HTIB (a Sony) has no inputs, so it would only work with the built-in DVD player. Fortunately he already had a fairly modern 5.1 receiver so we're going to cut the proprietary ends off the Sony speakers, connect them to the 5.1 receiver, and feed the digital audio outputs from the DVD player and the cable box into the receiver.

 

[webshark3]

Regarding home-theater-in-a-box... I like the idea however make sure that if you get one, that it's got some inputs. My uncle recently got himself a big HDTV and a HTIB but also wanted to connect his cable box into the speakers. Long story short - the HTIB (a Sony) has no inputs, so it would only work with the built-in DVD player. Fortunately he already had a fairly modern 5.1 receiver so we're going to cut the proprietary ends off the Sony speakers, connect them to the 5.1 receiver, and feed the digital audio outputs from the DVD player and the cable box into the receiver.

Good point Groucho. ALWAYS look at all the inputs and plan on what you would possibly want to put into it in the next 5 years or so. From what I see, it's mostly slimline "stylish" HTIBs that skimp on inputs. The bigger, uglier boxes like Yamaha and Onkyo linked above, are usually generous. But you never know til you verify.

 

[webshark3]

Early in this thread someone stated that higher contrast ratios in TV sets are better. That's generally true. However, there is no universal standardized method of calculating contrast ratio, so each manufacturer determines it differently. As a result, contrast ratio is only good for comparing models from the same manufacturer. You can't really use that specification to compare TV sets from different brands.

GrillMouster: A great point that is far too often overlooked. When I researched my projectors, mine was rated at 700:1. A comparable (but noticeably dimmer) DLP projector was rated at 2000:1.

An independent lab, using their own scale, rated mine at about 600:1, and the DLP model at 400:1. So like you said, unless you're comparing models from the same manufacturer, it's a more or less a meaning-less stat.

 

[Todd_H]

Early in this thread someone stated that higher contrast ratios in TV sets are better. That's generally true. However, there is no universal standardized method of calculating contrast ratio, so each manufacturer determines it differently. As a result, contrast ratio is only good for comparing models from the same manufacturer. You can't really use that specification to compare TV sets from different brands.

GrillMouster: A great point that is far too often overlooked. When I researched my projectors, mine was rated at 700:1. A comparable (but noticeably dimmer) DLP projector was rated at 2000:1.

An independent lab, using their own scale, rated mine at about 600:1, and the DLP model at 400:1. So like you said, unless you're comparing models from the same manufacturer, it's a more or less a meaning-less stat.

I'm glad you guys pointed that out because I didn't realize there wasn't a standard... but it makes sense now that I think about the wide range of contrast ratio's I have seen advertised (from 700:1 all the way to 1,000,000:1). Guess the best way to gauge is just to go look at them in person and decide for yourself which looks better.

 

[webshark3]

I'm glad you guys pointed that out because I didn't realize there wasn't a standard... but it makes sense now that I think about the wide range of contrast ratio's I have seen advertised (from 700:1 all the way to 1,000,000:1). Guess the best way to gauge is just to go look at them in person and decide for yourself which looks better.

Boy is my memory be jogged now.

If you're going to a retail store: Most manufacturers set the Contrast really high on their TVs out-of-the-box. Sometimes 75%+. This is done so they'll "look brighter and more contrasty" next to other models sitting beside them.

High Contrast will reduce your TV's lifespan, and increase the possibility of burn-in on some models (and don't tell me LCDs don't burn. I've seen them burn. ).

Typically, the correct Contrast value for your TV is usually about 25%, give or take. It's best to get a Avia Calibration DVD and run a quick test. Setting your TV up right will significantly increase it's lifespan and picture quality.

Your eyes may not like it right away (Those default settings really "punch" you), but the correct settings will look much more natural pretty quickly. Same holds true for Sharpness. Reduce the Sharpness and at first, It'll look blurry. Once your eyes adjust, you'll have a smoother, more natural looking picture. Again, a cheap calibration DVD works wonders.

 

[RBennett]

So which is cheaper and better? To get calibration dvds or to have a professional come out and calibrate your tv/sound system? (And yes I realize there may be two separate answers to this question.)

 

[seashoreCM]

ANSI contrast deals with the brightest white and the deepest black that can be displayed at the same time (in the same scene).

On-Off contrast deals with the brightest white that can occur in one scene versus the deepest black that can occur in a different scene.

If a projector has an iris or an LCD panel has an adjustable back light, it can achieve a greater on-off contrast but it cannot achieve a greater ANSI contrast.

With calibration there are numerous permutations of where (in the TV or in the DVD player or sometimes in an audio-visual receiver/amp) to adjust things like brightness or contrast. Doing it yourself, you may end up trying different things and it takes a long time. Whereas a well trained professional will choose the right places to do each adjustment and get it done more quickly.